ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Host-based intrusion detection system comparison

Okay kiddo, listen up! Do you know what a detective is? A detective is someone who looks for clues to solve a mystery. But what if I told you that computers can have detectives too? They are called host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS).

HIDS are like detectives for your computer. They watch everything that happens on your computer and look for any signs of trouble. There are different types of HIDS, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Let's compare three of the most common ones: Windows Defender, McAfee, and Norton.

Windows Defender is a detective that comes with your computer if you use Windows. It's really good at finding bad guys like viruses and malware, but it's not very good at detecting other kinds of attacks, like when someone tries to sneak into your computer without you knowing.

McAfee is another detective you can use. It's great at finding all kinds of attacks, but sometimes it takes up a lot of space on your computer and slows it down. Also, McAfee makes a lot of false alarms, which can be annoying.

Norton is the last detective we'll talk about. Norton is really good at detecting all kinds of attacks, but it can be expensive. It's also not as easy to use as the other detectives, and it takes a long time to install.

So there you have it, kiddo! HIDS are like detectives for your computer, and there are different kinds with different strengths and weaknesses. It's up to you to decide which one is best for you!